A former Fife Council lawyer is offering a cash reward for the safe return of public artworks that have gone missing from Glenrothes.
Three concrete poetry slabs created by renowned artist David Harding in 1974 were part of the town’s collection of over 160 public artworks.
They were removed from Glenwood shopping precinct, which is being prepared for demolition next month.
Despite a police investigation into their disappearance, the whereabouts of the prized slabs remains a mystery.
Glenrothes artworks collection ‘unique’
Fife Council, which is responsible for the collection, has faced a barrage of criticism for failing to keep the artworks safe after it admitted it has no idea what had happened to the concrete slabs.
Now former council lawyer Andrew Ferguson says he is putting up £100 as a reward in the hope they will be returned.
Mr Ferguson, who grew up in Glenrothes and later held the legal post at the local authority for more than 20 years, told The Courier it is vital that the artworks are returned.
He said: “I was dismayed to learn the works had gone missing.
“New towns often have more than their fair share of detractors and Glenrothes is no different but it also exudes many positives.
“The collective array of town art is just one of those and should be seen as a unique asset.
“It was created not for tourists but for the very people who live in Glenrothes and thus has become part of the very fabric of those communities.
“Some may see the missing artworks as simply as a paving slab but to those who live here they represent much more.
“I’m prepared to offer £100 for anyone with information that leads to their return.
“As a former council lawyer, I’m reasonably well placed to negotiate – on a confidential basis if necessary – with my former employers to secure a guarantee that the returning slabs are used in any replacement development at Glenwood, possibly in consultation with David Harding himself.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact Andrew.
It is thought the slabs were removed on or around January 8 when fencing was erected around the Glenwood Centre site.
Police in Glenrothes have since confirmed that they are treating the disappearance as a criminal act.
Meanwhile, Glenrothes MSP Jenny Gilruth has called for more to be done in efforts to see the return of the missing poetry slabs.
Posting on social media, she says she has also written to the local authority and police seeking an update on the situation.
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